Your get a say on gaming's most important issues.

Say hello to the return of the CE Public Roundtable, where our message boarders get the opportunity to express their views on whatever issue we can conjure up. The topic at hand for the debut feature is the home of the next Mario platformer, a interesting question at least.

Which platform should Mario 128 be on, and why?

CubeChris:

Mario 128 should definitely be on the next home console that Nintendo launch, alas the N5 or the newly named Revolution. The only reason I believe this is because the Gamecube is coming towards the end of its lifetime and a new Mario hit really wouldn't have such an influencial impact on the market as a it would at launch. For example, do you think the Gamecube would have done better with that famous Italian fat plumber ready at launch? In a word; YES. So to conclude, the N5 should definitely be launched with a Smash Hit Mario title to really get the console of the ground and having instant appeal to those Mario fans!

And that was my two cents...

Jimmy3000:

For me it has definitely got to be an N5 launch title, it needs a big title at launch as this is that the Gamecube lacked for a at launch and for a long time after. The Gamecube has got the new Zelda coming as well which gives us all one top class Nintendo game to look forward to before the end of the Gamecube life cycle. I don't think it should be put on DS; DS already has many good titles for it including 2 Mario games (Mario 64x4 and the side scroller) and I don't believe that the DS has the power to produce a game like Mario 128. I also would rather play a Mario title on a big wide screen TV, not a 3 inch screen =/. If there are any ideas for Mario 128 that can only be used on DS then those should be incorporated into Mario64x4.

EEVILMURRAY:

I don't really care what platform it's developed for, whether it be Gamecube or N5. What I care about is that it's going to be quality, if the work has been done properly, bring it out on Gamecube. If it turns out to be a somewhat rushed game with something that resembles a lot of .. oh I don't know, sailing for example [sound familiar?] then I'd prefer some time spent on it, and released on the N5. The N5 needs some strong launch titles and if this shapes up to be a cracker it can give the edge back, potentially bringing new people.

ViPeR:

Well in answer to the question what platform it SHOULD be for then I'd have to say the N5. The game has already been given the reputation of revolutionary and it only makes sense to have it on the next console, which Nintendo themselves has codenamed Revolution. The game could also benefit greatly from the higher specification of the new console and come up with a better, more revolutionary product. As for sales it may be a good way of shifting some consoles early on in the N5's life but for me personally I'd rather see it on the Gamecube. Let it go out with a bang as it were. However by doing this it's likely it'll end up not selling well as we saw with the later games for the N64. In short, it should be on the N5. I want it on the Gamecube simply because I can't wait for it :)

HeadlessHaven:

I think it should go to the N5/Revolution for three reasons:

Number one is that after E3 I don't think that the Gamecube is in the desperate mess that it once was, it has Resident Evil 4, Pikmin 2 and the new Zelda game to name just a few superb titles. So I think Mario 128 isn't needed to save the Gamecube, as Zelda can do this.

Secondly the Gamecube's launch lineup was probably one of the reasons why many people became disillusioned with Nintendo. Nintendo needs a strong recognised name to head the N5, either Zelda or Mario. Now Zelda is on the Gamecube, Mario should be held back for the N5's launch. Lastly after the E3 conference the N5 was said to revolutionise gaming. Note also how Mario 128 has said to be unlike anything we have ever seen before. Can you see where I'm going?

the_punk_project:

It's a very difficult matter and I wonder if there IS a right answer. Firstly, I want to drop DS as a possible platform for Mario128. Why? Because Mario 128 is supposed to be the true sequel to Mario 64. It's supposed to be beautiful, wonderful, revolutionary, and graphically excellent. Because the DS already has 2 Mario games in development, excluding Mario Kart.

Both the 'Nintendo Revolution' and the GameCube seem entirely possible platforms to host the new Mario game. I'd like to see Mario 128 launch with the Revolution because it would cause the same hype and revolution as with the launch of the Nintendo 64. But we hear Nintendo talk of how different the Revolution will be, maybe a simplified way of playing games even, so I wonder if I really want the new Mario on that platform. Maybe one last, full-blown graphical and gameplay advanced adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom for the last time, on GameCube? To be honest, that idea sounds much more appealing to me. But I don't see it happen. We have Mario Tennis, Golf and Paper coming up, as well as tons of other great games. In all reality, by the time all these great games have come out, Nintendo probably doesn't even need a new Mario game on the GameCube, because their focus will be on the next console.

So... like I said, there is no correct answer. Who knows, eh? I do trust in the folks at Nintendo though so no matter which choice they make, it'll probably be a good one. Well, excluding a revival of the Virtual Boy, starring Mario 128, off course. But other than that, yeah, I'll have faith.

R_Master:

Since I played Mario Sunshine I have worried that the Mario franchise has become stale, and will become even worse if something is not done. That is why when the Nintendo Dual Screen was fully revealed at the recent E3 I thought to myself that this may be the burst of life the franchise needs, with all of its amazing features. So at the moment I would have to say the Nintendo Dual Screen.

However, if the N5/Nintendo Revoloution is truely as innovative as Nintendo proclaim it to be, than I may have to change my decision come E3 2005.

Hellfire:

Well, it's true that a Mario launch title on Revolution would be great, especially if it was really original, but GC support must continue strong and it's hard to get as strong as Mario. The decision is more based on when the ideas are ready and polished and if technology can support them. Of course a DS Mario is also needed, but the existence of a Mario on a home console doesn't mean they won't make one on DS. In fact we've seen the Mario they're making for DS and it's not what you people call "Mario 128", so I think there's no discussion there. It also depends on how the development of the game is going. If it's already underway it's obvious that it should be for GC, but if it's in early development or not even in development at all, I don't think that by the time the game would come out it would be the right choice to be on the GC. We don't have enough info to give a good opinion, so...

Mike_D:

I don't think either the GameCube or the DS need any more Mario titles at the moment, whereas the N5 could really do with a killer launch title that's going to get people's attention. The GameCube may have had loads of titles out on launch day, but none of them were must-haves. The N5 has got to get people interested from day one, and Mario 128 may be the game to do that.

Shenlong:

Like most people I agree that it should be on the 'N5' or 'Revolution'. With the next generation consoles will be so close in hardware and processing power, it will really make the games that are on each console the main driving force of the consoles success. So a game that is meant to be so innovative and revolutionary that it can't be shown will truly help the 'N5' in the next race. Plus I believe the Gamecube is too under-rated for a game that's meant to be as good as this. (although no-one's seen it or heard anything about it... so I speak from the hype), so it won't achieve the sales it deserves and will most likely have a better life on the next console.

shadow_link:

I, like most other people, believe that Mario 128 should be on "Revolution." Although it will be nice to have another Mario game on the GameCube, with a Mario game as a launch title, it will help the sale of the "Revolution." We do not know how the new console, "Revolution", will work but if it's by Nintendo, it's bound to be something new and innovative isn't it?

Rickoss:

It's hard to choose whether or not I'd actually like to see Mario 182 appear or N5/Revolution or GameCube. With such a strong line-up for Nintendo's current home console, I get the feeling that all the big hitters could well be gone come the launch of Revolution, or at least not far enough through development to be released.

Of course, these promised 'new features' of the Revolution could work in favour of Mario 182, Shiguru Miyamoto has already stated Nintendo have been trying out a lot of new things with Mario 182 and I'm sure some of them will have incorporated Revolution technology.

That's not to say I wouldn't love to see Mario 182 appear on the GameCube; as good as Super Mario Sunshine was, like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, it just didn't feel like the epic adventure everyone was expecting. Hopefully the new Legend of Zelda will rectify that, and having another Mario title do the same would make up for a few of the GameCube's shortcomings.

Then there's the Nintendo DS. While it does sound very, very promising, especially the touch-screen/stylus, I can't see it having any distictive features that would further the Mario series. Sure, Wi-Fi, duel screens and the like work for some titles, but I couldn't see it having any huge affect on Mario 128, and what with the DS already having two possible Mario launch titles (Super Mario 4 x4 and the new Super Mario Bros.) you get the feeling we won't need any new handheld Mario games for some times.

As much as the wait will kill me, I have to say an N5 release does sound ideal.

That's all for this week's edition. Be sure to check out the Gamecube Forum for the next topic, and your name could be here next Saturday. Didn't contribute? You can still post your thoughts below.